the gangway and anoint
him with a cat-and-nine-tails; he shall have a round dozen doubled,
my lad, he shall--and be left lashed to his meditations." We were very
proud of our associate, who immediately went to work, and prepared the
instrument of his revenge with great skill and expedition; after which,
he ordered our baggage to be packed up and sent off, a day before our
attempt, and got horses ready to be mounted, as soon as the affair
should be over. At length the hour arrived, when our auxiliary, seizing
the opportunity of the usher's absence, bolted in, secured the door,
and immediately laid hold of the pedant by his collar who bawled out,
"Murder, Thieves," with the voice of a Stentor. Though I trembled
all over like an aspen leaf, I knew there was no time to be lost, and
accordingly got up, and summoned our associates to our assistance.
Strap, without any hesitation, obeyed the signal, and seeing me leap
upon the master's back, ran immediately to one of his legs, which
pulling with all his force, this dreadful adversary was humbled to the
ground; upon which Gawky, who had hitherto remained in his place, under
the influence of a universal trepidation, hastened to the scene of
action, and insulted the fallen tyrant with a loud huzza, in which the
whole school joined. The noise alarmed the usher, who, finding himself
shut out, endeavoured, partly by threats and partly by entreaties, to
procure admission. My uncle bade him have a little patience, and he
would let him in presently; but if he pretended to stir from that place,
it should fare the worse with the son of a bitch his superior, on whom
he intended only to bestow a little wholesome chastisement, for his
barbarous usage of Rory, "to which," said he, "you are no stranger." By
this time we had dragged the criminal to a post, to which Bowling tied
him with a rope he had provided on purpose; after having secured his
hands and stripped his back. In this ludicrous posture he stood (to the
no small entertainment of the boys, who crowded about him, and shouted
with great exultation at the novelty of the sight), venting bitter
imprecations against the lieutenant, and reproaching his scholars with
treachery and rebellion; when the usher was admitted, whom my uncle
accosted in this manner: "Harkee, Mr. Syntax, I believe you are an
honest man, d'ye see--and I have a respect for you--but for all that, we
must, for our own security, d'ye see, belay you for a short time." Wit